Organic compound and method of preparing same



Patented Oct. 17, 1950 ORGANIC COMPOUND AND METHOD OF PREPARING SAME William F. Gresham and Richard E. Brooks, Wilmington, DeL, assignors to E. 1. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing.

. 8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the synthesis of tetraalkoxypropanes and methods ofpreparing the same. More particularly, the invention pertains to the preparation of tetraalhoxypropanes by reaction between 1,1,2-trialkoxyethanes, CO and Hz. This application is a continuation-inpart of our copending application S. N. 670,525, filed May 17, 1946 now Patent 2,429,878. This application is also a continuation-in-part of our copending application S. N. 080,072, filed June 28, 1946 now Patent 2,449,470, which discloses a process for the synthesis of 1,1,2- *imethoxyethane by heating methylal with carbon monox ide and hydrogen in the presence of methanol at elevated temperatures and pressures in the presence of a reduced cobalt oxide catalyst. Moreover, the synthesis disclosed in the said application provides the starting material which, in preferred embodiments, is employed in the practice of this invention.

An object of the invention is to provide new and useful compositions of matter, obtainable from 1,1,2-trimethoxyethane and like 1,1,2-trialkoxyethanes. Another object is to provide, from compositions readily derived from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, an inexpensive intermediate for the synthesis of glycerine. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The objects are accomplished in accordance with this invention by carrying out novel reactions which, in specific embodiments, may be written as follows:

It is to be understood that corresponding reactions take place when the methoxyl groups in the reactants (and therefore in the reaction products) are replaced in whole or in part by other alkoxy groups, suitably containing less than about six carbon atoms per alkoxy group.

In general, the reaction between 1,1,2-tri-- methoxyethane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methanol is conducted, according to the invention, at a temperature of at least 50 0., preferably about 100 to 250 C. The pressure should preferably be at least one atmosphere, relatively high superatmospheric pressures (50 to 3000 atmospheres) being preferred. Best results are observed at pressures of 1100 to 1500 atmospheres.

Any suitable hydrogenation catalyst may be employed in the reaction between the 1,1,2-trialkoxyethane, e. g. 1,1,2-trimethoxyethane, car- Application October 25, 1947, Serial No. 782,222

2 bon monoxide, hydrogen and methanol. The best catalysts contain cobalt and/or nickel. It is not necessary that the cobalt and/or nickel be in the metallic state. In fact, it has been found, in accordance with the invention, that the nickel and/or cobalt can be combined in very widely differing forms without losing its catalytic activity. Thus, cobalt salts of organic acids are highly efiective. and very wide variations in the nature of the organic acid have been found to have virtually no effect upon the activity of the catalyst. A suitable soluble catalyst is cobalt naphthenate. The catalyst need not be soluble, of course, but may also be used as a suspended or granular solid.

The synthesis of CH3OCH2CH(OCH3) CH(OCH3) 2 can be effected in one step from methylal, methanol, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen if desired, using a cobalt-containing 0r nickel-containing catalyst under the conditions described above. Somewhat better yields are generally obtained, however, by first preparing the 1,1,2-trimethoxyethane and thereafter converting it to CH3OCH2CH(OCH3) CH(OCH3) 2:

ethane (33% conversion based on methylal charged; -100% yield based on methylal consumed). A quantity of 1,1,2-trimethoxyethane (0.4 mol) prepared as above described, was heated with methanol (2.4 mols), cobalt naphthenate 1% of the weight of methanol), and a 1:2 (mol ratio) mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen at 122 to 127 C. under 1150 to 1500 atmospheres pressure for 30 minutes. Distillation of the resulting product gave 1,1,2,3-tetramethoxypropane (B. P., 178 0.; conversion, 26.5% based on 1,1,2- trimethoxyethane charged; yield, 81.3%.

The foregoing example is illustrative only and should not be interpreted as necessarily limiting the invention. The conditions of the novel synthesis can be varied widely without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus the COII-Iz ratio may be varied quite widely in the synthesis of the reaction product, good re sults being obtained when this ratio is within the range of 1:3 to 3:1.

The tetramethoxypropane obtained as above disclosed yields, on acid hydrolysis, an aldehyde, viz. alpha, beta-dimethoxypropanal, which is useful as a glycerine intermediate. The dimethyl ether of glycerine, obtained by hydrogenation of this aldehyde, is converted to glycerine by acid hydrolysis or by reaction with hydrogen chloride.

We claim:

1. A process for the synthesis of 1,1,2,3 -tetramethoxypropane which comprises reacting 1,1,2- trimethoxyethane with carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methanol in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, and thereafter separating 1,2,3- tetramethoxypropane from the resulting mixture.

2. A process for the s nthesis of 1,1,2,3-tetramethoxypropane which comprises reacting 1,1,2- trimethoxyethane with carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methanol in the presence of a cobaltcontaining catalyst, and thereafter separating 1,1,2,3-tetramethoxypropane from. the resulting mixture.

3. A process for the synthesis of 1,1,2,3-tetramethoxypropane which comprises reacting 1,1,2- trimethoxyethane with carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methanol in the presence of a cobaltcontaining catalyst, at a temperature of at least 50 C. under superatmospheric pressure, and thereafter separating 1,l,2,3-tetramethoxypro pane from the resulting mixture.

4. A process for the synthesis of 1,1,2,3-tetramethoxypropane which comprises reacting 1,1,2- trimethoxyethane with carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methanol in the presence of a cobaltcontaining catalyst, at a temperature of 100 to 250 C. under a pressure of from to 3000 atmospheres, and thereafter separating 1,1,22,3- tetramethoxypropane from the resulting mixture.

5. The process set forth in claim 4 in which the said catalyst is a cobalt salt of an organic carboxylic acid.

6. The process set forth in claim 4 in which the said catalyst is cobalt naphthenate.

'7. The process set forth in claim 4 in which the initial mol ratio of CO:H2 is 3:1 to 1:3.

8. A process for the synthesis of 1,1,2,3-tetramethoxypropane which comprises reacting 1,1,2- trimethoxyethane with carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methanol in the presence of a cobaltcontaining catalyst, at a temperature within the range of to 250 C. under a pressure within the range of 1100 to 3000 atmospheres, and thereafter separating 1,1,2,3-tetramethoxypropane from the resulting mixture.

WILLIAM F'. GRESHAM. RICHARD E. BROOKS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Gresham et al. Oct. 28, 1942 Number Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,525,793

WILLIAM F. GRESHAM ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 3, line 17, for 1,2,3- read 1,1,2,3-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. Signed and sealed this 2nd day of January, A. D. 1951.

October 17 1950 THOMAS F, MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

1. A PROCESS FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF 1,1,2,3-TETRAMETHOXYPROPANE WHICH COMPRISES REACTING 1,1,2TRIMETHOXYETHANE WITH CARBON MONOXIDE, HYDROGEN, AND METHANOL INT HE PRESENCE OF A HYDROGENATION CATALYST, AND THERAFTER SEPARATING 1,2,3TETRAMETHOXYPROPANE FROM THE RESULTING MIXTURE. 